Abhanga 1283
For today: popular brahma-jñāna is mēḷavaṇa-laced with kāma-krōdha-lōbha and kāḷakūṭa; ask only for one rajā of nirē — that suffices for the durbaḷa.
The verse
घरोघरीं अवघें जालें ब्रम्हज्ञान । परि मेळवण बहु माजी ॥१॥ निरें कोणापाशीं होय एक रज । तरि द्या रे मज दुर्बळासी ॥ध्रु.॥ आशा तृष्णा माया कालवूनि दोन्ही । दंभ तो दूरोनि दिसतसे ॥२॥ काम क्रोध लोभ सिणवी बहुत । मेळवूनि आंत काळकूट ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे तेथें कांहीं हातां नये । आयुष्य मोलें जाये वांयांविण ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: In every house, brahma-jñāna has become (universal) — but there's much mēḷavaṇa within. If there's a single rajā of nirē (pure) anywhere — give it to me, the durbaḷa. Āśā, tṛṣṇā, māyā mixed in — the dambha is visible from afar. Kāma-krōdha-lōbha tire much — mixed inside is kāḷakūṭa. Tuka says: there nothing comes to hand — life is wasted at price.
मराठी: घरो-घरीं — अवघें — ब्रह्म-ज्ञान झालें — पण मेळवण (भेसळ) बहु आहे माजीं. कुणाकडे — निरें — एक रज (कण) तरी असेल — तर मला, दुर्बळाला, द्या रे! आशा-तृष्णा-माया कालवून दोन्ही — दंभ तो दूरूनी-च दिसतो. काम-क्रोध-लोभ बहु सिणवीतात — आंत मेळवून — काळकूट. Tukā म्हणे — तिथें कांहीं हातां येत नाहीं — आयुष्य मोलें वायां जातें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| घरोघरीं अवघें जालें ब्रम्हज्ञान | "in house-after-house, brahma-jñāna has become (universal)" |
| परि मेळवण बहु माजी | "but mēḷavaṇa (mixing / adulteration) is much (mājī = within / in the middle)" |
| निरें कोणापाशीं होय एक रज | "if there's a single rajā (dust-particle) of nirē (pure) anywhere" |
| तरि द्या रे मज दुर्बळासी | "then give it to me — the durbaḷa (weak one)" |
| आशा तृष्णा माया कालवूनि दोन्ही | "āśā, tṛṣṇā, māyā — both mixed (kālavūnī) in" |
| दंभ तो दूरोनि दिसतसे | "the dambha (hypocrisy) — visible from afar" |
| काम क्रोध लोभ सिणवी बहुत | "kāma-krōdha-lōbha tire (siṇavī) much" |
| मेळवूनि आंत काळकूट | "mixed inside — kāḷakūṭa (deadly poison)" |
| तेथें कांहीं हातां नये | "there nothing comes to hand" |
| आयुष्य मोलें जाये वांयांविण | "āyuṣa (life) at price (mōlē) — goes (jāyē) vāyām-viṇa (in vain)" |
What it means
Anti-popular-brahma-jñāna abhang. The opening line is exact: gharō-gharīm avaghē jālē brahma-jñāna — in every house, brahma-jñāna has become (universal-talk) — Advaita-philosophy commodified, recited at every chai-stall. Pari mēḷavaṇa bahu mājī — but the mixing is much — the brahma-jñāna served in the village houses is mēḷavaṇa (adulterated, mixed-with-impurities).
The bhakta's request: nirē kōṇāpāśīm hōya ēka raja — tarī dyā rē maja durbaḷāsī — if there's a single rajā (particle) of pure (brahma-jñāna) anywhere — give it to me, the durbaḷa. The seeker isn't asking for a feast; one pure particle would suffice. But it's hard to find.
The diagnosis: the mēḷavaṇa contains: - Āśā, tṛṣṇā, māyā mixed in (the cycle of want) - Dambha visible from afar - Kāma, krōdha, lōbha exhausting - Kāḷakūṭa (the deadly poison from the cosmic-churning) hidden inside
The closing — āyuṣya mōlē jāyē vāyām-viṇa — life is wasted at full price. Mōlē (at full price) and vāyām-viṇa (in vain) together: you pay full-price for the life, and what you bought is vain.
[T]
For someone today
For today: popular brahma-jñāna is mēḷavaṇa-laced with kāma-krōdha-lōbha and kāḷakūṭa; ask only for one rajā of nirē — that suffices for the durbaḷa.
Where this applies
- Brahma-jñāna-everywhere-but-mixed.* Gharō-gharīm-mēḷavaṇa.
- One-particle-of-pure.* Nirē-ēka-raja.
- Dambha-visible-from-afar.* Dambha-dūrōnī-disatasē.
- Inside-kāḷakūṭa.* Mēḷavūnī-āmta-kāḷakūṭa.
- Life-wasted-at-full-price.* Āyuṣya-mōlē-vāyām-viṇa.